New Verbal Skills for Phone Shoppers

For years it was considered taboo to quote practice fees over the phone. The idea was to get patients in the door, have a consultation and then quote while they are in the office. Doctors felt this was a better way to extol the value of dental care and increase treatment acceptance versus patients seeking the “cheapest care”.

Today, that approach is ineffective. People want speedy answers. There’s no time to make multiple appointments at different practices to obtain a quote. Our teams must adjust to the needs of patients. The old verbal scripts do not work and will limit the amount of new patients coming in your door. The last thing we want to do is irritate and turn off our potential new patient.

Instead, think of how refreshing it will sound when you say, “I would be happy to quote that for you” – THEN QUOTE A RANGE.

The goal is to give them a ballpark that is hard to compare. Instead of a runaround, answer their fee question and immediately redirect. Take control of the conversation and then get them scheduled.

Sample Dialog

The verbal skills would go like this:

New Patient: “How much is a crown?”

Patient Coordinator: “I would be happy to quote that for you. May I ask your name?

Mr. ___________ our crowns fees range anywhere from $1,100 – $1,400. Is this tooth hurting you at the moment? How about this….We have Tuesday at 3:00pm or Wednesday at 9:00am available. You can see Dr._________. At this appointment, we will make an assessment and we can move forward with the appropriate care. Whom may we call for your dental records and xrays? Will we be filing any insurance claims for you?

Mr. __________ you have made a great decision to call our team. We look forward to seeing you on__________.”

It really is that simple. Remember, the patient called because they need an appointment. They called YOU. Make this the last call they make.

There are so many dental practices to choose from. Be the practice that accommodates rather than irritate. Then watch what happens to your new patient numbers.